Johnson bats in winning run in ninth as Braves best Indians

PAUL NEWBERRY

Wednesday

Aug 28, 2013 at 10:33 PM

ATLANTA - Chris Johnson singled to left with two outs in the ninth inning for his first career walk-off hit and the Atlanta Braves won again at home, beating the Cleveland Indians 3-2 on Wednesday night.

Jordan Schafer drove in Atlanta's first two runs, then scored the winner after reaching on an infield single and stealing his second base of the night. Freddie Freeman was intentionally walked before Johnson lined a 2-2 pitch to left off Joe Smith (5-2).

The Braves improved to 46-18 at Turner Field, the best home record in the majors.

Mike Aviles homered and drove in both Cleveland runs.

Craig Kimbrel (3-2) earned the win with a perfect ninth.

Justin Masterson pitched five-hit ball but made a crucial mistake in the second.

After Brian McCann led off with a single, Andrelton Simmons lined a two-out double into the left-field corner. Even though McCann was running on contact, the slow-moving catcher had no chance of coming all the way around to score on a ball that ricocheted off the wall, right to outfielder Michael Brantley.

Masterson was still in good shape, with the light-hitting Paul Maholm coming up. He was batting just .133 and had not walked all season. But his Cleveland counterpart left four pitches outside the strike zone - and paid dearly for it.

Schafer came up next and ripped a single to left, bringing home two runs to put Atlanta ahead.

Aviles just cleared the left-field wall with his eighth homer of the season in the fourth, snapping Cleveland's 12 2-3 inning scoreless streak in Atlanta. The Braves won the opener of the series 2-0.

Aviles tied it up in the eighth with a sacrifice fly.

The Indians, seeking their first playoff berth since 2007, are off to a rough start in one of the most important stretches of the season.

After wrapping up their three-game series with the Braves, they move on to play three games in Detroit against the AL Central-leading Tigers before returning home to face Baltimore, another playoff contender.

Notes: When the Atlanta bullpen couldn't hold a 2-1 lead, Maholm (9-10) missed a chance to join teammates Mike Minor, Kris Medlen and Julio Teheran as 10-game winners. ... The Indians placed OF Ryan Raburn on the 15-day disabled list because of a strained left Achilles, retroactive to Aug. 19. He had missed 10 of the previous 11 games because of soreness. ... Cleveland purchased the contract of OF Matt Carson from Triple-A Columbus. He struck out as a pinch-hitter in the seventh with the potential tying run at second base. ... McCann reached on a bunt single in the fifth, taking advantage of Cleveland playing a shift with three players on the right side of the infield. ... Atlanta OF B.J. Upton, mired in a season-long slump, was hit by a pitch in the sixth - and promptly picked off at first by Masterson. Upton complained briefly and heard a smattering of boos from the home crowd as he walked toward the dugout. ... The Braves optioned OF Todd Cunnington to Triple-A Gwinnett.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.